syl1115

Nicole, you did a wonderful job on everything!

I really wanted to do it too, but my daughters had a problem with it and I agreed to wait. I really wish we would have done it because I think the photos would have been more personal and relaxed. We had everyone from the wedding watching when our photos were taken and I felt uncomfortable.

I feel obligated to post an update to my original post. I received an email on my facebook page from a very nice gentleman who is an owner of a Starwood property and brought to my attention that they may be "noseeums" and not bed bugs. I did a little research on noseeums and this is what I found. "They’re a problem nearly everywhere in the Caribbean, and I can attest to that. While lying on a beach in the Bahamas, I got 147 bites, which ruined a day of diving. On the Honduran island of Guanaja, they chewed me up again, leaving 60 marks on me while I waited for a 7:30 a.m. flight. Regardless of where you are in the Caribbean, chances are you’ll get a few bites. The no-see-um obviously gets its name because it is nearly invisible, small enough to go through window screens. The ones coming at me on the Utila beach were little black dots the size of a period, flying down at me like a miniature fleet of Luftwaffe. The scientific name for the no-see-um is Ceratopogonidae, but it has accumulated more common names, including sand flea, sand fly, biting midge and punky. They’re common to wet areas like beaches, wetlands and creeks. Divers will experience them at their worst in Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize and Mexico’s southern coasts. Many resorts spray their grounds but can’t get them all – besides the Fantasy Island reports we mentioned above, Belize’s Isla Marisol resort is also a big breeding ground. And of course like any blight, no-see-ums breed like crazy. They lay eggs in standing water, where larvae hatch and feed on dead vegetation. Within just a few days, the larva becomes a pupa, then an adult that leaves the nest in search of food. Though one-third the size of a mosquito, its bite is inversely more painful. While mosquito bites cause raised lumps on the skin that become very itchy, they can be soothed with calomine lotion, Benadryl, or aloe vera. No-seeum bites result in typically a whole bunch of red welts that irritate the skin, are slow to deflate, and cause three to four days of severe itching. No-see-ums on the beach will bite most often on the ankles and lower legs, just because they’re closer to the ground. But if you’re unlucky enough to pass through a dark swarm of them, no part of your body is off limits and they could fly into your eyes, ears, nose or mouth. Every person reacts differently to no-see-um bites. Two people may receive an equal number of bites, and one will not be affected while the other will turn into a walking pincushion. For divers who suffer allergic reactions, one treatment of antihistamines may work for one person, while another may need a bigger, stronger dose of something more potent." In thinking back, I do remember being on the beach only one day that week and there were several "gnats" flying around and bothering us. I did not notice them in my leg area but more in the torso area. I was not laying in the sand, but on a chaise. Based on the pictures I found on the internet, my bites look just like noseeum bites. I am so glad he contacted me but I am still disappointed in the way it was handled by the Westin. My MOH also contacted them and they told her that I had to call them, WTF! I do feel a little better about the fact that they may not be bed bugs.

Those look great!

Welcome to the forum. Just take your time and do a lot of reading. This forum will help you so much.

Wow Amy, that is so exciting. You had one of the most beautiful weddings I have every seen and you should be proud to show it off to the world! Congratulations

Some of you may remember my post on being laid off from my job of 21 years in October. Well, my MOH has a timeshare at the Westin in St. John, VI and she was going for a week after Thanksgiving. She talked me into joining her for a few days just because I felt so bad about not having a job, etc. I decided to join her the Sunday after Thanksgiving and return the following Friday. I flew Delta (never again) and 14 hours later, I was in St. Thomas. I had to wait another hour for the taxi to take me to Redhook to catch the water taxi over to St. John. Yes, the longest trip ever, but that is another story. We had a great time all week. Soaked up the sun, shopped, kayaked, took an island tour, drank and ate. On Tuesday I started noticing a rash on both of my arms. I thought it may be a sunburn and I ignored it. Thursday I noticed a couple of red bumps on my legs and I thought that those were from sand fleas on the beach. On Friday I noticed some more on my arms. We left to return home and by the time I got home Friday night around 11:30 pm, I was beginning to itch like crazy. By Sunday, my legs from the knee down, was covered in bites and my arms had several bites. They itched like hell. I thought it may be a reaction from the sun and my antibiotics I was taking for a sinus infection. I did some research online and found out it was not a reaction to the medication and sun, but it was bedbug bites! I searched all over the internet for more information and my symptoms and bites matched others bitten by bedbugs. Now the Westin is a rather fancy hotel/timeshare on St. John and they boast about their "heavenly beds". The beds are heavenly, but also infested with bedbugs. A week later, the itching is starting to subside. The moral of this story is to make sure to check your bed before you get in it and don't take your guests to the Westin in St. John! I sent them an email and here is the response I received. Dear Ms. Howard, Thank you for your recent email regarding the stay at The Westin St. John Resort and Villas. Regretfully, due to recent changes in our privacy policy, we cannot accept information from non-registered guests without the guest's permission. We would respectfully request that you have the guest contact Corporate Customer Service at 1-800-328-6242 and either authorize the disclosure of the information contained on the reservation to you or open a Corporate Customer Service complaint file with their comments. Thank you for assisting us in protecting the privacy of our guests. Best Regards, Amy Mellor Specialist, Corporate Customer Service Department Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Original Message Follows: ------------------------ Subject: Your Feedback to Westin I stayed at this resort from 11/30 to 12/5. On the last day I started noticing bumps on my arms and legs. When I returned home, there were several of them and they itched very bad. I did some investigation and identified the bites as bedbug bites. I feel that the Heavenly Bed in unit 2511 is invested with bedbugs. I was there as a guest to a Starwood owner and as a timeshare owner myself, this is horrific. I have used my timeshare (not starwood) many times and have never experienced anything like this. I would suggest a thorough cleaning of all bedding in this unit immediately.

What a great idea. They came out really good. Toasting flutes are so expensive and you saved a bunch! Good job.

I really like that dress. My first one was similar but the dress was ruined during alterations. It looks really good on you.

Casey, I love them!

Great sneak preview. She looks beautiful!

You look amazing! I love the shoes and your dress is gorgeous!

This story is so sad. I can't imagine how her BF and parents feel. I hope they find her soon.

Congrats Caitlin. The photos are great and you looked beautiful. I love the cake cutting pose.

Congrats Indigo, I hope everything turns out perfect.

The TTD pics are great! I wish I would have done one.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Please be safe and enjoy.

I love the dress on you! It looks stunning! The back is so sexy.

You may want to look at this: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...1-6#post545956

OMG Alyssa, you make me feel so old! I used to play all the time when my kids were little, LOL. I haven't played in years.

I made panel fans for our program, but I did not put traditional wording on them. Here is a pic.

Happy, Happy Birthday Shelly! I hope you have a great day!

How creative! it is so cute. She will love it.

We have two traditions and I don't think we will be doing them this year. 1. On Christmas eve, my girls and I dress in our Christmas jammies and have hot chocolate and watch a christmas movie. Since the kids are grown and gone, it will be just me and the dog! DH doesn't wear Christmas jammies! 2. My mom used to buy advent calendars for all of the grandchildren, but she passed right after Christmas last year and it will be to hard to carry that on this year.

Amanda, I just saw these. They are great! You looked so beautiful and happy. I loved, loved, loved the flowers.